When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call “Ball.”

The timer is reset each time the batter steps out of the box, of course. And many batters have gotten into this practice. The Yankees and the Red Sox are especially fond of this practice. But, the umpires could easily control such by simply not giving batters an automatic time—a couple of strikes thrown when the batter has stepped out of the box, but the umpire has not issued a time-out, will cure that practice in a hurry.

Joe

Maybe MLB should install pitch clocks for the whole stadium to see as they do in football and basketball.

FelineCannonball

That's among the things they're experimenting with.

I'm not sure myself. Fans counting down false numbers has to be one of the more annoying things in sports. Drunk baseball fans already have banter that's too clever by half.

FelineCannonball

The biggest recent trends are 1) the late moves out of the box to pretend like you have something in your eye and 2) more taken pitches early in the count -- aimed at messing with rhythm and driving up the pitch count.

8.04/6.02 is implemented rarely during games. I saw it in a game a few years ago, but it would surprise me if it happens more than once a year in the whole league. To be fair it's a little ambiguous when the batter "becomes alert." The average time between pitches is a total of 18 seconds: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=23669 But that doesn't include getting it to the pitcher or waiting for the batter to get set.

BTW, what's with this new focus on pace of game? If they're trying to make baseball exciting for those with ADHD this isn't going to work. Maybe it's about cutting the game down to fit better in television time slots?

BobSykes

Umpires officiate the game the way the players and managers like it, the rules be damned.

Is the pace slow? Yes, it should be for a summer game. Younger fans don't like it? Who cares, wait until they get old. Blacks don't like it? Good.

The only things not to like are the designated hitter (bye, bye Big Pappy [We luvs ju.]) and night games. A shorter season without snow and ice at both ends might be an improvement, too.

HenryBowman419

BTW, what's with this new focus on pace of game? If they're trying to make baseball exciting for those with ADHD this isn't going to work. Maybe it's about cutting the game down to fit better in television time slots?

I think it's because MLB wants to attract younger fans: the average age of baseball fans is about 53 years. Attendance and, more importantly, TV revenue will taper off, for sure, unless the trend is reversed or at least halted.

Mondak

Indeed. No one is violating the 12 second rule, it is just that the players have taken advantage of their infinite hall pass to call time.

If a 9 year old elementary school student needed the hall pass 16 times in a day (4AB with 4 P/PA) the teacher would laugh at them. Now add in every student and then multiply by two since there is a pitcher and a hitter and . . . no freaking way. We tolerate it in our "entertainment" for some reason though.

obloodyhell

}}} National television ratings have plummeted as the average game last season stretched beyond three hours, or more than 30 minutes longer than the average in the 1970s. This is despite the fact that run-scoring, which usually produces longer games, is at a 33-year low.

Emphasis mine.

Idiots. Correlation is not causation. Or maybe it is. The decline of interest in baseball almost totally coincides with the shift towards pitching duels over the batting game. Face it you morons, AMERICANS LIKE GAMES THAT SCORE. Or at least get slowed down because of fights (i.e., Hockey).

Scoring -- It's inherently American. That's one reason why Americans have resisted Soccer. It's a freaking BORING GAME which half the time goes 90 minutes with the score tied 0-0 until they finally setting the thing with freaking penalty kicks.

Why did America so love the sport when it had Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle? Because they LOVE people who score. Because those are the guys who win the freaking game.